Arimidex - Coping with the SE's
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Sunflowers, I also think that having the privilege of getting older plus the accumulation of cancer treatments does lead to the tiredness. I was just talking to a good friend who is a colon cancer survivor; post treatment, NED, and she mentioned the hardest thing she has to deal with is that persistant tired feeling.
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Absolutey! And I want to be like your friend when I grow up!
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sunflowers...nervous about bone density test??????
After being poked, cut, prodded, hammered on, MRI, CAT and PET numerous times, I thought the bone density gig would be a cake walk...I am having my first one on the 9th. Please don't tell me I can add 'densanxiety' to my 'scanxiety'??? AHHHHHHHHHHHH
Hugs
LowRider
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No, no, bone densities are quick, painless, and you get to keep your clothes on!
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Whew.....thanks, ruth!
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Has anyone had any eye problems while on Arimidex? I have only been on a month and my eyes hurt most of the day. I'm not that tired but my eyes feel so heavy all day long and they hurt. Could this be a SE?
Lowrider - the bone density is a piece of cake! You have nothing to get anxious about.
Diagnosis: 4/10/2009, IDC, 1cm, Stage I, Grade 2, 0/2 nodes, ER+/PR+, HER2-0 -
Dom23,
I had so weird eye problems...my eyelids would flip under (or inside) and would get stuck like that when I was taking showers. It was the weirdest thing. The first time it happened I called my husband because I couldn't get it to flip back and I wasn't quite sure what was happening. I felt like my eyes were sunken and when I rubbed them in the shower the just flipped under. It was WEIRD. It only happened about 5 times. It started about 3 weeks after starting A. Good luck. I hope they stop hurting!
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I was having trouble with my eyes so I went to the optometrist to get them checked (I wear glasses all the time) as I thought that maybe I needed new glasses. Nope the prescription was fine by the tears that keep our eyes moist were no longer in abundence.......so now I use artificial tears when my eyes get scratchy.....hey presto.....no more problems.
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Good morning Ladies-
First of all, thanks for starting this thread. I read through all the posts and was so happy to see that everyone realizes that while there are side effects to AI there are ways to cope.
I feel like yakking it up this morning, so I'm warning you this may be a long post! Ha!
I had the effectiveness of Arimidex-which I've only been on one month-proven to me in a very strange way. When I was going through menopause-which I went through early, at 40, I would get bronchitis all the time. If I even got the littlest virus, boom, it was bronchitis and I would be miserable. It would happen 4-6 times a year. I also had hot flahes, gained weight, yadda yadda. Because my estriadol levels were so low (less than 7) and FSH so high, my well meaning gyno put me on the vivelle path/prometrium. I went on and off of it for about 2 1/2 years. Last year from March 2009 to March 2010, I was on Fem Ring/prometrium for vag atrophy so bad I was cracking and bleeding. It worked like a charm. Coincindentally I went off of it right before my mammo in March, which ultimately gave me my bc dx.
Here's the thing. I had all the symptoms of being so estrogen deficient for so long, I was pretty sure bc would be my least likely dx. When I got my dx, I asked my surgeon how it was possible that someone with estrogen deficiency like mine for so long would get bc and he gave me an explanation that made so much sense...my body is highly sensitive to estrogen and reacts to anything that it feels is too much. I know from my own body wisdom that even something as "localized" as the Fem Ring was too much-my breasts changed, I could feel them doing it during that year.
So my estrogen deficient symptoms have returned. I have a bad case of bronchitis (which my onc tells me is exacerbated by lower white counts and radiation this time.) I have dry eyes and a dry vag to boot. And I have hot flashes. But you know what? I know my Arimidex is working and I'm so happy! I can deal with this stuff. For what ever reason, this is the path my body was trying to tell me to be on even though it came with some problems. I have osteopenia-so I'm working out with weights and doing bone building exercises like good old fashioned jumping jacks, skipping rope and playing basketball, plus getting in weird walk-jogs which make me look ridiculous but I don't care. I'm eating much better, I'm getting "safe" sun, I'm taking my calcium and vit D supplements, fish oil, glucosomine and a strong B supplement. I'm using a vitamin E suppository for the old girl downstairs 3 times a week. I'm biking, spinning, swimming, gardening.
I went a little overboard on the exercise for three weeks and got run down, and yesterday, even though I had a fever and felt so bad, I realized that my body is adjusting and I'm going to have to really stay in tune with it to find the right mix. I understand that there are some women who do not choose to do this and I respect them and their decision. The one thing I have truly learned in this experience is that our bodies will signal the problem and then we have to do the best we can to help them along.
There are no guarantees, that's for sure, and I realize each day I am very lucky to have some options in dealing with this. So I'm going to try as hard as I can to work with the SE when they pop up and keep focused on each day as it comes my way. Period.
Thanks for reading my big thesis on life this morning
XO
Kim
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And a great thesis it is - thanks (and slow down, you winded me with your exercises!)
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I've been on A now for over a year and yes there have been and still are side effects but nothing over the top. The worst one that I find hard to deal with is it makes me feel so old and every joint, while some are a bit painfull, goes snap crackle and pop when I move. My grandchildren find this quite amusing, but sometimes it is hard to deal with. I do take all the usual added vitamins etc and I think overall they do help. Love n hugs. chrissyb
ps. I know the A is working as I'm NED at the moment....long may it last
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Hi all, I just started a new program the generic arimidex and the Gab pain rx. I noticed on the Gab info that you should not take magnesium within 2 hours. I don't know why. But I am taking in addition some supplements for the sdx of Oseoporisis and it has d 500mg and calcium elemental 500mg 2x a day because your body cannot absorb more than that at one time. The magnesium helps absorption of the calcium plus is a muscle relaxer great for a bedtime. FYI I was on Tamaxofin for 8 months but latest PET and MRI should severe activity and 5 fractures in neck and bone so I hope this starts to work for me
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YAY chrissyb - almost 7 year survivor - I'd say something's working.
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Thanks patoo, overall I'm definately happy with the Arimidex, I hope it works for a whole lot longer.
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Thanks for the suggestion of eye drops. I am definitely going to give that a try.
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JO-5: Thanks for posting about the dry eyes and Arimidex. I have been going nuts putting this OTC Artificial Tears in my eyes all day and night because my eyes seem so dry and blurry. I had cataract surgery a couple of years ago and thought it had something to do with that. I never knew Arimidex could cause this. My idiot of an eye doctor said it was common and never equated it with the Arimidex. He just said to keep putting the OTC drops in my eyes! I am due to see him this Friday and I may ask brainy about the Optive if they will help better. Heck! Next time I go to the drugstore I just may buy a bottle of Optive and see if it helps! Now I am on my second go round with Arimidex, the eye problem could get worse so I have to know what can help.
Thanks again for sharing.
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Thanks Jo.
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Hey A-Team!!! I'M back!!! For those who don't know me from the previous now defunked up armidex site~~ I am 70 and talk about sex! Those who know me ..please tell others I am not a pervert! TY Lowrider good job getting us together again..
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Anyone who is 70 and talks about sex is awesome in my book!
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Jeez ! I was wondering what happened to all the helpful SE tips on the old Arimidex thread. I kindof feel like the kid left standing in the school yard after the school bell has rung who's scratching her head wondering where everyone is. Thanksfor starting this up, Low Rider. Now to read the old posts and catch up !
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I was put on Zoladex and Arimidex three months ago. Zoladex is a monthly injection that stops my ovaries from producing estrogen. So I went from having lots of estrogen to nearly none in a period of about two weeks!
My main SE was the sudden inability to sleep, and, when I did doze, I would wake with hot flashes every hour and a half (none during the day). I asked for Ambien, and it gets me 3 or 4 hours but I still wake up hot every hour or so after that. On the advice of many of you, I moved my Arimidex from evening to morning, and I'm hoping that will help. Maybe Effexor would be more helpful than Ambien if it would diminish the night hot flahses.
I'm interested in whether anyone else had this double estrogen whammy and how you're coping.
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Yogamom - I'm in the same boat as you are but unfortunately haven't come up with any great solution. I too am getting "the double estrogen whammy" - Lupron shots and Arimidex and I'm up a constantly. Sometimes every two hours which is livable; sometimes every hour which is absoulutely unbearable. For me, things are compounded by needing to get up and go to the bathroom with every night time hot flash. (Does anyone know why this happens - both hot flashes and bathroom trips so much more in the middle of the night ? Is it just that I've got no distractions ?) I'll occassionally use Excedrin PM which gets me a bit of extra sleep early in the night. Otherwise, like tonight, I'm up and on the computer.
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mtg- i definitely also experience the combo frequent urination/hot flash thing- there really is something to it but i'm not sure- for me part of it is that the hot flashes wake me up so then i notice i have to pee and it bothers me where normally i'd sleep through it for longer, but also, even during the day sometimes, having to pee brings on hot flashes! WHY?? I don't know but it's really consistently true...I try to stay away from it usually but the ativan will put me out for the duration, even if i have to stumble to the bathroom midway through the night...
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I've only been taking Arimidex for a month and a half and have also noticed the hot flushes being associated with peeing. I pee, then have a hot flush. Also noticing more frequent need to pee. Not sure if I'm having any extra aches and pains yet as I have crappy knees anyway.
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Hi suepen.....another Aussie!! yeahhhh
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I slept rotten and had to get up to go to the bathroom a lot even before Arimidex (plain old 'real' menopause). My theory is it's because you are not sleeping deeply enough, so that your brain isn't all the way tuned out to your bodies signals. Without a sleep aid, I'm up every couple hours in the bathroom, when I take a sleeping pill I'm up once. So, I often do take a sleeping pill.....my one addiction!
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One note about effexor -- it is not an SSRI, and it has been found to be the safest med to take with tamoxifen. As with all these meds, there is a hit and miss quality to them.
I am also on the zoladex/arimidex thing and have been having killer hot flashes, but in the last few days with cooler weather its been a bit better. I'm wondering if this is a side effect that willimprove after summer.
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Here is a thought after reading MTG's post; if you can think of people who were pretty regular on the 'old' arimidex thread who haven't shown up here yet, you might want to send them a PM and let them know where we are.
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It has been such as hot summer that even my CATS are having hot flashes! But seriously, I think that hot weather does trigger and make them worse and I think you will find them more manageable once it cools off. Now I am glad to live in a state with a long cold winter! 0
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Anyone else have toe/foot numbness as se's of Arimidex, I have been taking almost 7 months now and the last couple months, my two toes next to little toes were numbing...This week it has now spread to at least three toes and ball of foot....also slight lower back pain....Any suggestions are appreciated.....
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